Artifact & package registries, in detail
Where builds live between CI and deploy. The 2024 turn: Docker Hub raised prices and tightened pull limits, and Sonatype replaced its free OSS edition with a capped Community Edition — pushing more teams toward cloud-native or self-hosted registries. Storage and egress, not seats, are the real meters here.
| Tool | Free tier | Entry price | Billing unit | Watch out for | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Docker Hub | 1 private repo, 100 pulls/hr | Pro $9/user/mo (annual) | Per seat + pull limits | Nov 2024 price rises; pull-limit tightening through 2025 | The default public container registry |
| GitHub Packages | Public free; private 500 MB | Usage-based above | Per GB stored/transferred | Transfer billing ($0.50/GB) surprises heavy CI | ghcr.io next to your code, zero setup |
| JFrog Artifactory | None (trial) | Cloud Pro $50/mo promo (list $150) | Base + per-GB usage | Promo pricing — list price is 3× higher | Universal enterprise registry, 30+ package types |
| Sonatype Nexus | Community Edition (capped) | Pro quote-based | Per instance | OSS edition replaced by capped CE in Dec 2024 | Self-managed standard for Maven/Java estates |
| Cloudsmith | Free for qualifying OSS | Usage/quote-based | Per GB + egress | Pricing moved upmarket/sales-led | Managed universal registry with policy controls |
| AWS ECR | 500 MB private free; public gallery free | $0.10/GB/mo storage | Per GB + egress | Cross-region/Internet egress adds up | Container images next to your AWS compute |
| Harbor | Unlimited — OSS (CNCF) | $0 + your infra | Self-hosted | You run storage, replication and upgrades | Self-hosted registry with scanning + RBAC built in |
Pricing models and free tiers change often — check each vendor for current terms. Compiled July 2026; the most volatile figures verified on official pricing pages.
Official pages: Docker Hub · GitHub Packages · JFrog Artifactory · Sonatype Nexus · Cloudsmith · AWS ECR · Harbor
Entry price at a glance
Cheapest paid plan, USD per month — per-user plans shown for a single seat. Hatched bars are usage-based or quote-only; values marked ~ are approximate.
Notes & recent changes
- Docker Hub's Nov 15, 2024 price changes (Pro $5→$9, Team $9→$15) came with storage-based billing plans and tighter unauthenticated pull limits through 2025.
- Sonatype's free Nexus OSS edition became the usage-capped Community Edition in Dec 2024 (shipped early 2025) — a real change for former OSS users.
- ECR public gallery is free to host OSS images and integrates with Docker Hub rate-limit workarounds.
Which one should you pick?
- Public images for the world → Docker Hub (or ECR Public).
- Code on GitHub, images in CI → ghcr.io.
- Many package formats, one enterprise vendor → JFrog or Cloudsmith.
- Self-hosted with scanning → Harbor.